Occam’s Razor, also known as Law of Parsimony,  is one of the concepts that discipline our thoughts while we look for explanations and solutions.  The simplest explanation or solution is likely to be the right one.  ‘Elementary, my dear Watson’, isn’t it?

This law of parsimony is attributed to William of Ockham, a Franciscan friar and philosopher, hence the name Occam’s (or: Ockham’s) razor.  However, this principle has guided disciplined minds since time immemorial.  Indeed, as William of Ockham said:

Pluralitas non est ponenda sine necessitate.

Plurality should not be posited without necessity.  

The translation into Polish, albeit not literal,  sounds really good:

Nie należy mnożyć bytów nadaremno.

Therefore, when you hear hoof beats,  think horses, not zebras, unless you are in Africa, that is. 

A sobering  and mind-disciplining approach useful in both private and professional life, to say nothing of research and, on the whole,  in search of answers to the  most fundamental  questions.   Let’s remember about Occam’s razor in order not to make our complex world complicated beyond necessity.